Each year, the Better Business Bureau said online shopping the Monday after Thanksgiving grows by about 20 percent, but that also means scammers are out there trying to make a buck.

Online is the place to be Cyber Monday. There are deals, deals and more deals everywhere you look. More people participate in Cyber Monday every year, making it an estimated $2.6 billion day for retailers this year.

"Of course, high-demand scam artists are jumping right in on it. Scam artists, during Cyber Monday or anytime, are looking for three basic things: They want to steal your money, they want to take your identity, or they want to have access to your computer," said Angie Barnett, with the BBB.

That's why the Better Business Bureau is encouraging folks to shop safely this holiday season. The No. 1 way to keep your information safe is to shop websites you know from reliable retailers.

"It sounds crazy, but with social media and you see with pop up adds with coupons that scam artists can post on Facebook and send or put out pop up ads that are going to divert you from the retailer you're looking for to another website that is fake its bogus its spoofed," Barnett said.

Other scams include bogus emails and coupons with a bait-and-switch tactic. One of the best ways to avoid getting scammed is to do your research. Know about how much your product costs and if a retailer is advertising a significantly lower price, that's a red flag. To make sure you're using a legitimate site, look for privacy policies or contact information.

"If a website doesn't have that information, if you're not able to reach them, if they don't have a privacy policy, all of those are not yellow flags, but red flags. Stay away from those websites," Barnett said.

Before customers put in payment information, they should make sure the URL has an https and a padlock symbol that's closed, indicating it's a secure website. And always use a credit card, not a debit card. It's easier to sort things out and get money back if a customer does fall victim to scammers.

Once an order is placed, watch out for another scam: A bogus email using companies like UPS or FedEx saying the shipment is delayed and asking the consumer to click on a link. The BBB recommends customers keep an email folder for legit order information.